Hunting with war "memorabelia"

[Telemark]

My neighbor loaned me his rifle this year for logistical reasons. Norway changed their gun laws in June, so it was easier for me to use his rifle at his farm this season. Turns out it's a German WW2 military rifle that was then recycled into the Norwegian army, and then finally sold as a hunting rifle.

 

[hillrunner]

Now there's a gun with a story. Do you have any more pics?

 

[Jerry-B-WI]

Is it a 8mm or was it rebarreled? I have a couple of Swedish Mausers that I sporterized. One is a M96 made in 1915 and the other is a M38. Both are 6.5x55 and are very accurate.

 

[chickenlittle]

I need to work with my Dad’s 7.65 Argentina Mauser 1891. I put a red dot on it with a no drill mount a few years ago. It wasn’t that accurate with the ammo I had and it got set aside. It was his deer rifle with the original open sights for 30 years.

 

[Telemark]

I don't have pics but I can take some more. It's not pretty, but it's certainly deadly and functions well on the farm.

It's rebarreled in 308, which is widely available here.

 

[bigboreblr]

Had one of those, not sporterized. There's (2) 8mm mauser calibers. An earlier version was a touch smaller in bore size fyi. Pre-WWI mausers. However, germany used everything they had to piss off the world....

I got a bosian war era SKS with 17 notches cut into the stock. One of my ugliest SKS's, but a good reliable shooter. I can hit the gong in my hunt club's swamp at 230 yards with cheap ammo and open sights all day long. 230 yards is the farther spot from cabin lawn in that swampy area.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

That's neat Telemark. I've owned a half dozen K98's or so. Never hunted with one. But fun at the range.

 

[GMan5465]

My uncle gave me an 8mm Mauser and that had a swastika on the barrel (looks about the same). This gun and all matching serial numbers on the parts, which he said was rare because they were assembled in concentration camps and they would mix up the pieces hoping that would affect the use of the guns. Not sure if that is accurate or not, but neat story none the less.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

My uncle gave me an 8mm Mauser and that had a swastika on the barrel (looks about the same). This gun and all matching serial numbers on the parts, which he said was rare because they were assembled in concentration camps and they would mix up the pieces hoping that would affect the use of the guns. Not sure if that is accurate or not, but neat story none the less.

That is not true at all...they were not assembled in concentration camps.

Matching K98's are not super rare. They are desirable, but fairly to easy to find on the market. What IS rare is to find an all matching K98 with a matching bolt assembly. Most matching K98's have mismatched bolts. To find one with a bolt that matches is highly desirable. Does yours have a matching bolt?

 

[GMan5465]

I’ll have to check it when I get back home

 

[Angus 1895]

My dad was a WW2 veteran. So was his brother. I was given an 8 x57 Mauser that my dad’s brother brought back from the war.

Turns out it was a pre war “ post office” Mauser. Evidently hitler made mausers to protect the rural mailmen.

it has a long tapered barrel. I put it in a bell and Carlson stock, timney trigger, three position safety, drilled and tapped for scope.

it once put three hand loads inside of a diameter of a quarter at 200 yards! ( my buddy Dave was shooting it)

I don’t think I own a more accurate rifle .

when I get home I will post pictures……next week.

P.S. The bolt matches the receiver numbers

 

[Angus 1895]

My Dads 8 x57 post office model 98

 

[Natty Bumppo]

My Dads 8 x57 post office model 98

That's pretty neat.

I have been collecting WWII stuff since I was a teen in the 80's. Those K98's were fairly common vet souvenirs. They were hard to get back to the States though because of their length. GI's would often cut the stock down just under the front barrel band to make it fit in a typical duffel bag. Amongst collectors these are called Duffel Cut K98's. And then you see many like your dad's that were sporterized after the war for hunting.

I used to find 100% original vet souvenir K98's in the late 80's and the 90's for $400 or so right out of the woodwork. Now they are approaching $2k.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

A guy that use to work for us has a WW2 30-06 with a bunch of "notches" on the stock that was his fathers. He has taken it out a few times over the years for deer.

 

[b116757]

My grandfather had a 7.65 Argentine and three 1903’s a Winchester a Springfield and a Enfield I believe my uncle has them at this time. I loaded some 7.65 ammo for him a couple years ago if he got the bug to shoot it. It’s been probably 30-35 years since I’ve personally shot it. Cool old guns kind of wish I’d have bought some of the Swedish mousers in the late 90’s a buddy was importing them at the time.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

A guy that use to work for us has a WW2 30-06 with a bunch of "notches" on the stock that was his fathers. He has taken it out a few times over the years for deer.

Could be an M1 Garand or a 1903A3. Do you remember if it was a bolt action or an autoloader?

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Could be an M1 Garand or a 1903A3. Do you remember if it was a bolt action or an autoloader?

I don't recall.

 

[j-bird]

I realize this thread may have dried up.... But I have an Enfield Mk4 no1 rifle (1943 dated) that the story is that it was brought back from Europe after the war ended by my grandfathers brother (my grandfather had polio as a child and thus was not drafted). They then "sporterized" it once they got it home (removed the top barrel cover, shortened the fore grip, removed the front sight hood - but retained the flip up "long distance sight") and my grandfather used it for hunting black bear. Chambered in 303 Brit. I still shoot it when I can find ammo (I have not actually hunted with it). Biggest issue I have with the gun is that finding hunting grade ammo for 303 brit is now running nearly $3+ a bang....and that is IF you can find it. Most of what I can find for a reasonable price is FMJ surplus ammo as this was the common military ammo across the british empire from WW1 up into Korea. The 303 brit cartridge is essentially a slightly less powerful version of a 30-0-06. I would have no issue hunting with it....it's not a museum piece so might as well have some fun with it.

 

[Telemark]

I realize this thread may have dried up.... But I have an Enfield Mk4 no1 rifle (1943 dated) that the story is that it was brought back from Europe after the war ended by my grandfathers brother (my grandfather had polio as a child and thus was not drafted). They then "sporterized" it once they got it home (removed the top barrel cover, shortened the fore grip, removed the front sight hood - but retained the flip up "long distance sight") and my grandfather used it for hunting black bear. Chambered in 303 Brit. I still shoot it when I can find ammo (I have not actually hunted with it). Biggest issue I have with the gun is that finding hunting grade ammo for 303 brit is now running nearly $3+ a bang....and that is IF you can find it. Most of what I can find for a reasonable price is FMJ surplus ammo as this was the common military ammo across the british empire from WW1 up into Korea. The 303 brit cartridge is essentially a slightly less powerful version of a 30-0-06. I would have no issue hunting with it....it's not a museum piece so might as well have some fun with it.

Hunting ammo here tends to run about $2-$3 per round. FMJ is about $1 per round. It's just part of the cost, unfortunately. The feeling of hunting with a war relic is pretty cool. I recommend you spend the time and effort to do it once. It will likely be worth it.

 

[Telemark]

My Dads 8 x57 post office model 98

Cool. The one I am hunting with is a model 98 too. Apparently it was rebarreled for 30-06 for the army and the "sporterized" for the civiliam market. Not sure when it was rebarreled for 308, but that's what it shoots now. It has a huge silencer and an ancient 2.5x Leupold on it. Hopefully the scope will be upgraded to a night optic.